Jail sergeants get raises, too

COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger went before the county commissioners Wednesday to "fall on my sword."

"I'm humbly here before you to tell you I made a mistake," Wolfinger told the board.

Last week, the commissioners approved raises for the sheriff's office's patrol deputies and command staff.

The problem is, Wolfinger said, he accidentally left 11 detention sergeants off his pay-increase proposal. Since he intended for them to get raises, that left his numbers incomplete at the time of the vote.

"I don't know how I did it," Wolfinger said. "I'm not a numbers guy. I'm a cop, I'm a police administrator."

He appeared before the commissioners to correct his mistake and ask for the money.

So in a 2-1 vote Wednesday, the commissioners approved raises for the 11 sergeants.

Commissioner Dan Green voted no, saying he doesn't agree with giving raises to jail employees.

"The whole media campaign was that it was patrol deputies," Green said.

Detention deputies are still being left out because their pay is already approximately 15 percent above the market rate, the commissioners and Wolfinger said.

The pay increases for the detention sergeants will cost the county $45,600 for the remainder of fiscal year 2015, and $79,000 for fiscal year 2016.

To partially cover the cost, Wolfinger gave up one detention deputy position, which is currently unfilled. He has eight budgeted positions empty at the jail.

Giving up a jail deputy position cancels out $56,500 already budgeted to the sheriff's office.

Green expressed frustration that sheriff's officials have been before the commissioners in the past making the case that additional deputy positions are needed.

"We've never been able to fill all those positions," Wolfinger said.

Undersheriff Daniel Mattos said the raises are important because it helps the sheriff's office keep the people it already has on staff.

"In the end, the truth is, if we need to work leaner to keep people paid better and to keep them here, I think that's what we're willing to do," Mattos said.

Because the sheriff's office is giving up a jail position, the net cost to the county for 2016 would be $22,500, Mattos and Wolfinger said.

That will be on top of $912,000 for the raises for all the patrol deputies and command staff in 2016.

The commissioners approved the raises last week in an effort to retain deputies, and try and keep them from leaving for jobs at other area law enforcement agencies where the pay is higher. Wolfinger and the commissioners said the county can't keep losing officers who have been trained and gained on-the-job experience.